PROVIDENCE – As nursing facilities nationwide are facing shortages, Rhode Island ranked as the 20th-worst state for senior care staffing, according to a recent study by Seniorly.
Seniorly.com released a study analyzing recent data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources & Services Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, and Kaiser Family Foundation. The study used this data to assess how each of the 50 states ranked for a variety of factors, including the facilities reporting staffing shortages, ratio of staff per occupancy, staff turnover and occupancy rates.
Meet Amgen Women Leaders in Science
Join us for an enlightening forum featuring Alli Ferguson and Satpal Kundra, two distinguished women…
Learn More
With 38% of facilities reporting staffing shortages, the study ranked Rhode Island No. 32 in the nation for staffing.
Connecticut reported the lowest staffing shortages in the nation with 4% of facilities understaffed to tie for No. 1 with California, while Massachusetts ranked No. 3 with 8%.
Rhode Island ranked No. 43 in the nation for the availability of primary care, including geriatric medicine, with a workforce staff 62% of the demand. Massachusetts ranked No. 46 with 60% and Connecticut ranked No. 51 with 41% workforce adequacy.
The study found Rhode Island has 11.3 people 75 years and older per home health aide, placing the state No. 32 for home health aide supply. With a ratio of 6.8 people over 75 per nurse aide, Connecticut ranked No. 13 and Massachusetts reported a ratio of five patients over 75 per nurse aide to rank No. 6.
Also, with a median staff turnover of 51.2%, Rhode Island ranked No. 19 for turnover, while Massachusetts was No. 8 with 47.4% and Connecticut was No. 4 with 42.3%.
Rhode Island’s nursing home occupancy was 87.2% to tie for No. 15, while Massachusetts ranked No. 12 with 88.9% and Connecticut tied for No. 8 with 89.9%.
The top five states for nursing home staffing were California, Alaska, the District of Columbia, North Dakota and Minnesota. Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina made up the bottom five states.
Katie Castellani is a PBN staff writer. You may contact her at Castellani@PBN.com.
